Coffin-fastener



(NOMOael.)

' L. G. KREGEL.

GOPFIN FASTBNBR. No. 430,478. PatentedJun-e 17, 1890'l UNiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS G. KREGEL, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

COFFlN-FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 430,478, dated J' une 17, 1890.

Application filed December 17, 1889. Serial No. 334,090. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may Gol/wewn:

Be it known that I, LOUIS G. KREGEL, of the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Lid -Fasteners, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompany- Jinne; drawings, forming part of this specificaion.

This fastening is intended especially for the lids of burial-caskets, and will be described in this connection. It may be, however, used for other purposes, and I do not confine myself to this use of it. It has a fixed lug upon the lid which enters a recess in the plate upon the edge of the casket-body, and has also a spring-catch which enters the same recess and engages a lip of a plate fixed to the body of the casket.

Figure I is a perspective view of the spring'- eatch. showing the inner side. Fig. II is a perspective view of the guide-pieces, showing the inner side. Fig. III is a perspective view of the spring-catch and the guide-piece in proper relative position, showing' the outer sides. Fig. IV is a perspective view of the lock-plate, showing the inner side. Figs. V and VI are transverse Sections at V'VI, Fig. VII, showing the lock respectively engaged and disengaged. Fig. VII is an outside view of the spring-catch and guide-piece attached to the lid or cover. Figs. VIII and IX are detail Sections at VIII IX, showing the different positions of the stopprojection of the spring-catch.

1 is part of the side of a burial-casket, and 2 is part of the lid or cover of the same.

3 is a lock-plate let in fiush with the edge of the side 1. The plate has an aperture 4, at one side of which is a catch-lip 5.

6 is a recess in the casket-side to allow the guide or steady lug 7 and catch-111g 8 to pass through the aperture of the lock-plate. The

guide-log 7 is on a plate 9, which is let into the edge of the lid or cover 2, so as to be fiush therewith. The spring-catch is on a torsionplate spring 10, let fiush into the edge of the lid in the position shown in Fig's. III and VII,

so that the lugs 7 and 8 will be inclose proximity. The spring-plate is attached to the lid by screws passing through its end 11.

12 is a projection 011 the spring 10, which passes through an orifice 13 in a lug 14, projecting inwardly from the plate 9. The size and form of the aperture 13 is such that the spring is restrained from outward and inward movement, but is allowed a limited torsional or twisting movement. The construction of the catch-lug 8 is such that when the lid is closed and the spring 10 in its normal position the tooth 8a on the lug engages the lip 5 of the plate 3, and thus holds the lid shut, as seen in Fig. V, and in order to twist the spring and disengage the tooth from the lip, as seen in Fig. VI, the spring has a side projection 15, which may be pushed up and accomplish the pnrpose. The upward movement of the projection 15 may be limited by coming in contact with the cover 2 or by coming in contact with the top of the aperture 13, and thus the spring 10 will not be twisted beyond its limit of flexibilitv.

The tension of the spring 10 may be increased or diminished by setting the end 11 somewhat obliquely to the edge of the cover.

I claim as my invention-- 1. The combination, in a lid-fastener, of a torsion-spring 10, having a catch-111g S, with tooth Sfl, transverse to the spring, and a plate 3, having a lip 5, adapted to engage the tooth, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in a lid-fastener, of the torsion-spring 10, catch-lug` 8, the plate 3, with lip 5, and the steady-lug 7 all constructed and adapted to operate substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, in a lid-fastener, of the spring 10, with catch-lug 8 and side projection 15, the guide-lug 7, attached to the lid, and aplate 3, attached to the side 1 and having an aperture 4 and a lip 5, adapted to engage the catch-111g, all substantially as set forth.

LOUIS G. KREGEL. lVitnesses:

SAML. KNIGHT, E. S. KNIGHT. 

